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Squash or Gourds ?
granma
Posts: 1,931
in Fruit & veg
This year I have grown what I thought were squash, but as they have developed I'm not sure now. The seed company must have got the seed wrong. I dont mind but they are nothing like I have had before. They should have been butternut squash,
To look at they started growing as pattypans , instead of scalloped they have like a curved hook in the nippedin bit of the scallop. They are a solid squash/gourd and yellow and green and about 4 inches across. Very decorative. I will try and get a photo uploaded. But not sure how to go about it but will experiment this evening.
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Posts
Waiting for a pic
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Hi Dovefromabove I have downloaded some photo's on to my laptop into 'my pictures'
section . But where do I go from here, can you help please- ?
Ive never sent a photo email either so I'm a bit stuck right now.
Thank you Hollie-Hock I will copy this out for the next time.
I have already found out the answer to my question . These fruits are gourds 'Crown of thornes ' I am now trying to find out who they are from . As far as I know I havent bought any gourd seed. I am sure the packet was bought as butternut squash.
http://rareseeds.com/crown-of-thorns-gourd.html
I've put a link to a picture in case anyone is interested (I am
). Occasionally seed companies do make mistakes with the labelling of seeds - I once purchased what the packet said were dwarf beans, only to find that they were Borlotti Firetongue climbing beans which rampaged over my tiny back garden (but they did provide me with a lovely crop of beans). I received an apology.
According to the link above they can be used as summer squash so are edible.
However, this link http://www.thompson-morgan.com/flowers/flower-seeds/half-hardy-annual-seeds/gourd-crown-of-thorns/2561TM showing a slighly different fruit says they are not edible.
It's probably a variation that occurs on several different squash/gourd varieties, and has then been selectively bred for - which do yours look like?
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Mine are definatly the T/M fruits and in that case I shall not be serving them up.I am relieved that I queeried them or this could have been a differant deadly lesson . Thankyou to Dovefromabove and to Hollie Hock for your help.At least I have found out how to upload my photo's!